Netflix plans to ship its last red DVD envelopes in September 2023, after 25 years of mailing shows and movies to subscribers and paving the way for streaming
Sarah Krouse / Wall Street Journal :
Wall Street Journal Sarah Krouse
Context & Ripple Effects
Netflix's DVD business still served 2.7 million US subscribers in 2019, valued in part for a catalog not available through streaming. This announcement turns that long-running residual service into a defined wind-down.
The closure marks the end of the distribution model that preceded Netflix's streaming-led business; later coverage documented employees reflecting on the service's industry impact as the shutdown approached.
First-order effects
- Remaining DVD-by-mail subscribers lose access to Netflix's physical-disc catalog when final shipments end in September, and Netflix can retire the logistics and customer-support operation behind the service.
- Netflix's consumer offering becomes entirely streaming-based, eliminating a separate channel that could carry titles absent from its digital library.
Second-order effects
- Subscribers who relied on discs for unavailable or hard-to-stream titles must shift to other physical-media, rental, or digital options, increasing the importance of catalog licensing and availability elsewhere.
- The exit further concentrates Netflix's product, operations, and content decisions around streaming rather than maintaining a small but distinct legacy subscription service.
Third-order effects
- If similar legacy services continue to close, access to older and less commercially prominent film and TV catalogs may depend more heavily on streaming rights decisions than on physical distribution.
- The move is another sign of entertainment platforms simplifying around scalable digital delivery, even when a legacy format retains a loyal niche audience.
The trend: Netflix's DVD shutdown is part of the broader shift from hybrid legacy distribution toward streaming-first entertainment services.
Related: Netflix · Netflix's DVD service still has 2.7M US subscribers · Netflix employees reflect on the DVD service shutdown
Related Coverage
- View article About Netflix
- Netflix Will End Its DVD Service, 5.2 Billion Discs Later New York Times
- View article Ars Technica
- View article The Verge
- View article HotHardware
- View article Barron's Online
- View article O'Grady's PowerPage
- Netflix Gains 1.75 Million Subscribers, Axes DVD-Rental Business Livemint
- Netflix upgrades ad plan features, will wind down DVD biz this fall Light Reading
- View article The Streamable
- Netflix ends DVD postal service: ‘Booster rocket’ for streaming wound down after 25 years City A.M.
- Netflix is killing off its DVD-by-mail service in September, 25 years after launch TechSpot
- Netflix to end mailing of DVDs of movies to subscribers after 25 years The Guardian
- Big changes are coming to Netflix in the United States TweakTown
- Netflix Will End Its DVD Rental Service After 25 Years Bloomberg
- Netflix shuts down DVD business after 25 years Silicon Valley Business …
- Netflix reports mixed earnings, to wind down DVD rental business The Economic Times
- Netflix to end DVD-by-mail service after 25 years Associated Press
- Netflix is shutting down its DVD rental business after 25 years Techlusive
- Asia-Pacific drives over 80% of Netflix user growth in Q1 Nikkei Asia
- Netflix Is Shutting Down Its DVD Business Variety
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- Netflix delays its password-sharing crackdown to sometime before July The Verge
- Netflix is shutting down its DVD rental service later this year XDA Developers
- Netflix to wind down red envelope DVD rentals Yahoo Finance
- RIP Red Envelope: After 25 Years, Netflix Is Killing Its DVD Rentals Gizmodo
- Netflix Is Finally Ending Its Mail-Order DVD Service SlashGear
- Netflix is ending its DVD-by-mail service Polygon
- Netflix Adds 1.75 Million Subscribers in Q1 2023 GameSpot
- After 25 years, Netflix will finally stop shipping DVDs to people Mashable
- Netflix Stock Wavers As Streaming Video Leader Misses Subscriber Target Investor's Business Daily
- Netflix will stop shipping DVDs and the red envelope is toast TechRadar
- End of an Era: Netflix Is Officially Shuttering Its DVD Rental Business IGN
- End of an Era: Netflix Retiring DVD-by-Mail Service in September PCMag
- Netflix will ship its last DVD in September BGR
- Breaking: Netflix to End DVD Rental Service This Fall The Streamable
- Netflix will shutter its DVD business in September TechHive
- I will forever be grateful for the time I spent at Netflix (starting back when streaming was just a wacky idea). … Tyler Stewart
- Looks like the “legacy” business is finally hanging it up. I remember during the initial split of the business in 2011, we were told that DVD still had legs for 10 years. … Nick Ross
Discussion
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About Netflix
Ted Sarandos
on x
Netflix DVD - The Final Season
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@dvdnetflix
@dvdnetflix
on x
On September 29th, 2023, we will send out the last red envelope. It has been a true pleasure and honor to deliver movie nights to our wonderful members for 25 years. Thank you for being part of this incredible journey, including this final season of red envelopes. https://twitter…
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@netflix
@netflix
on x
After an incredible 25 year run, we've decided to wind down https://dvd.com/ later this year. To everyone who ever added a DVD to their queue or waited by the mailbox for a red envelope to arrive: Thank you! https://about.netflix.com/... https://twitter.com/...
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@publicroad
Ruth Graham
on x
As a subscriber and very active user of this service I'm genuinely gutted by this news! https://www.nytimes.com/...
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@v21collective
@v21collective
on x
shout out to everyone who still has a dvd or two in a red envelope hanging around https://www.nytimes.com/...
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@lamw
William Lam
on x
wait, what!? Netflix still had their DVD service running this entire time!? 😳 https://www.nytimes.com/...
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@badtechno
@badtechno
on x
Garbage decision. I still get the DVDs. So much better than Netflix streaming selections. Stick with the superior service: @criterionchannl https://twitter.com/...
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@eringriffith
Erin Griffith
on x
incredibly aol dial-up has outlasted netflix dvds https://twitter.com/...
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@killercritics
@killercritics
on x
I cannot possibly express just how important this program was to me as a kid in helping me discover so many films that are still difficult to find today. Physical media is invaluable and it's awful to see it receive yet another blow https://twitter.com/...
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@mayascade
Maya Cade
on x
there are significantly less films available for streaming than were at video stores / on home video and because of licensing rights and algorithmic curatorial demands, there always will be. netflix dvd remains the only way you can see *many* films. this is a true loss. https://t…
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@levie
Aaron Levie
on x
The most important question: Does the last user have to return the DVDs? https://twitter.com/...
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@chrisfralic
Chris Fralic
on x
Netflix winding down DVD shipments this fall after 25 years! I remember they sent early customers a plastic DVD holder. And the time we pitched them to partner with Half / eBay. They didn't do that deal but we indirectly sold tens of millions of their used DVDs over the years. ht…
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@danawessel
Dana Wessel
on x
These cowards are winding things down while there is still a Blockbuster in Bend, Oregon slinging DVDs. You tell me who won. https://twitter.com/...
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@sonnybunch
Sonny Bunch
on x
They never got that Rashomon DVD back from me and they never will. https://twitter.com/...
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@gerrycanavan
Gerry Canavan
on x
Getting this in the mail and not being able to get the endorphin rush from sending it back is the most cursed thing that could happen to a person https://twitter.com/...
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@martinsfp
@martinsfp
on x
RIP Qwikster https://twitter.com/...
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@lmoses
Lucia Moses
on x
Hard to believe but once upon a time you had to decide Wednesday what movie you were going to watch on Friday, kids https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ ...
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@rustybrick
Barry Schwartz
on x
End of an era https://twitter.com/...
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@crimson_mayhem_
@crimson_mayhem_
on x
Imagine someone out there with an insane idea to get all the DVDs from Netflix for preservation purposes https://twitter.com/...
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@notjessewalker
Jesse Walker
on x
Netflix is dropping the part of its business where it can just buy physical movies without negotiating for the IP rights. This will mean a severe reduction in its catalog. https://www.wsj.com/...
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@michaelavolio
Michael Avolio
on x
Awful news for movie lovers in the US. Netflix's mail service is shutting down in September. Their selection is broader than any streaming service. This is a huge blow to those of us who like a wide variety of films. Countless films will be harder to see. https://about.netflix.co…
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@jowens510
Jeremy C. Owens
on x
In 2013, Netflix made more than $900 million from renting DVDs by mail. Last year, it couldn't top $150 million. So $NFLX has announced “the last season” for the business that took down Blockbuster Video, with the final discs going out in Sept. https://www.marketwatch.com/ ... ht…
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@logandobson
Logan Dobson
on x
what if we just spun it off and named it Qwikster https://twitter.com/...
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@danprimack
Dan Primack
on x
Outlived by @loneblockbuster https://twitter.com/...